Roger Smith
"We have choices. Some people like to stand in the rain without an umbrella. That's what it means to live free." His name is Roger Smith. As Paradigm City's top negotiator, he provides a much-needed service to the City of Amnesia, offering nonviolent resolutions to any dispute. Living by a code he calls 'Roger's Rules,' Roger projects the image of an absolute gentleman in any situation. But sometimes, being a gentleman just isn't enough; that's when Roger calls upon the power of the legendary MegaDeus, Big O. With Big O's help, there's no situation that Roger can't bring to terms - even if those terms might involve some pretty intense property destruction. Background Information Who is Roger Smith? There are some who call him Negotiator. A former member of the Paradigm City Military Police Force, Roger's passion for digging below the surface of events - ironically the very thing that made him such an excellent investigator - uncovered a sleazy secret of Paradigm Corporation (in a limited fashion - he has no idea of the true scope of Alex Rosewater's desires). Angered by his discovery, he left the military police, deciding to act as a neutral force in the city rather than one under the thumb of Paradigm Corporation. Though the exact nature of his discovery isn't something Roger likes to talk about, he claims it is something 'deeply unsettling', something that shook his faith in the police force to the core. Now, Roger acts as the Negotiator, settling those conflicts which cannot be stopped by themself and holding tight to the reigns of his own freedom. He lives by his own rules rather than those of any company or government. He maintains a friendship with Dan Dastun as a matter of course - no reason to leave good friendships behind, after all. Once Roger's commander, Dan has been forced to accept this turn of events, and like Roger himself, would rather salvage their friendship than turn away Roger entirely. Who is Roger Smith? There are some who call him Dominus. Pilot of the Megadeus Big O, whose name is whispered by the monsters that would prey upon Paradigm with a sort of hushed mutual fear and respect, Roger Smith is an indomitable force of justice in an uncaring and otherwise cold city. For as long as Roger can remember, he has held Big O's levers and buttons; he has ruled over the indomitable Megadeus. Roger believes that it is simply a factor of his pre-mindwipe life; he does not question too deeply where Big O came from, so long as he can utilize it to make his job more effective. And, for the moment, Big O does not question him; it accepts his Domination with its unfeeling "CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD", deems him "NOT GUILTY," and for the moment, that is enough for Roger Smith. Who is Roger Smith? There are some who call him Louse. A mission on the behalf of Miguel Soldano united Roger with his partner, R. Dorothy Wayneright, an android commissioned by Timothy Wayneright to replace his late daughter. Dorothy has since been a constant and (though Roger would never admit it aloud) welcome presence in his house, adding excitement to his life that Roger (again would never admit he) found lacking despite his dangerous work. One might call Dorothy the unpredictable element, the honest, refreshing truth in his world where the only thing honest is the gun he's staring down when the deal goes awry. On top of Dorothy, there is Angel, the mysterious and alluring woman who claimed to be an investigator for Paradigm Power Management; deceptive and enticing, it was only thanks to Roger's good sense that he was able to evade her charms. Who is Roger Smith? The truth of the matter is that Roger Smith himself doesn't know. Is he one of Paradigm's unusual A.I.s? Is he an original inhabitant of Paradigm City? The clues dangling tantalizingly before Roger's face, the memories which are the gears that keep Paradigm's wheels turning, are what drives him to search out the answers. With no more memories than any other inhabitant of the city, Roger must use his wits and intellect to find the truth of the matter, and when he finds it, choose to accept it...or ignore it. The mysterious Schwarzwald's confounding words compel him further to seek out the truth behind the Event that occured so long ago, when the memories disappeared, but in the end, it is Roger's own nature that urges more than anything. Who is Roger Smith? Roger Smith is one man. He is a wealthy Negotiator who lives in Paradigm City, a womanizer who lives by his own code. He is a man who is hunting the truth - whatever that means - who seeks to discover an identity where none exists. He is a man who loves black and hates guns, an unconditional force for neutrality and peaceful resolutions in a city under the thumb of the Paradigm Corporation. Who is Roger Smith? An extraordinary Louse. What else? Personality Traits Who is Roger Smith? Roger Smith is a man who who lives by his own rules, a code of honor he calls "Roger's Rules". He sticks to these policies with an almost methodical nature, only compromising in the face of armageddon (he is not, after all, Rorschach). Analyzing these rules breaks down the essential character of Roger Smith, because they are the character Roger Smith has forged for himself, internalized, and subsequently become. Outside these rules, Roger's personality is fairly straightforward; a witty and sarcastic sort of individual, Roger's pride in his self-image as a gentleman can lead him to act like a bit of an arrogant fellow; however, what lies beneath that cold, professional, almost Vulcanesque exterior is a good and noble heart - the heart of a true gentleman. -"I have a special rule that only lovely young women can unconditionally enter this mansion." Roger Smith was born with a silver spoon in his mouth; it's an essential fact of being such a respectable Negotiator. And, like many such men, he is a womanizer, with a fondness for the soft curves of the fairer sex and the ability to get them where he wants them to be. But underneath the apparently-simplistic rule lies a second, more devious purpose, like much of Roger's talk. Indeed, it is only lovely young women who may enter his house unconditionally, implying that only lovely young women are worth such an honor. In Roger's eyes, a guest should be worth having; they need a purpose that is beneficial to him in some way. Of course lovely young women get a pass; the service they provide, the purpose, is attractiveness to the eye. Some might call this objectifying women, but nothing could be further from the truth; it harkens back to the days of knights in their chariots, and an elevation of the fairer sex as a whole. Roger holds the ideal of the woman quite highly; though he certainly a womanizer and a louse, it could equally be argued that it is the artistic value rather than the sexual value that he admires. Of course, atop that lofty ideal sits the very pragmatic belief that men (and ugly women, and old women) who enters his house need to provide some service for his time. Time is money, and Roger Smith is a professional; guests can be entertained if they have a reason or are willing to abide by conditions Roger sets, but otherwise, they are not permitted to waste his precious time, and thereby waste his money. -"If you stay in my house, then you wear black." Roger Smith is a man of style. He is a man of class, of the cutting edge; the best stuff, always in style, always right there on the corner of fashion and pizzazz. And, by extension, so too must those who live in his home correspond to this ideal; a man is judged by the company he keeps, and Roger Smith keeps the very best company. Of course, like much of what Roger Smith does, there's more to this than meets the eye; this seemingly vain obsession with style is all part of his job as a negotiator, of selling his image as a classy individual. The people Roger Smith interacts with on a daily basis require, nay, demand him to look the part of a problem-solver, and to fit with that, those who might interact with his clients also require this level of professionalism; it is quite literally a do-or-die situation for many cases. There is of course a level of personal preference here; black is slimming, form-fitting, and functional. After all, no matter what you say, Roger likes to look good; he is obsessed with his ideal, his image of the perfect gentleman. Roger prides himself on that image and ideal, and in turn, is rewarded for it with more and more clients; like so many of Roger's rules, it is functional and decorative, serving both his pragmatism and vanity. -"It's not my style to carry a gun." Guns are bad for gentlemen. They're inelegant, messy, and they kill people; gentlemen are supposed to subdue the bad guys, solve the crimes, and save the girls. They're supposed to resolve the situation without violence, another ideal Roger prizes so highly. Guns are the easy way out, but they carry a high price, one that Roger Smith simply isn't interested in paying. That's not to say that Roger Smith is afraid to kill, or for some reason refuses to; as a pragmatic man, he understands that sometimes it's necessary. But to Roger Smith, killing is only necessary as an absolute final resort, when all other options are exhausted; so long as he doesn't carry a gun, he never needs to worry about the temptation to finish things easy. It's freeing, not carrying that weighty temptation; it leaves Roger to focus on other things. Like everything else in Roger's life, the second half of this rule is all about negotiation. People feel safe with guns; they're a psychological comfort, a feeling of power over another human being. People often become intoxicated with the idea of killing, with how easy it is to pull a trigger and end a life, especially the people Roger Smith deals with on a daily basis. Likewise, they feel a sense of power over those they perceive as helpless - those who do not have guns. By removing guns from his person, not only does Roger avoid his own temptations, but he places himself in a welcome position; if the opponents believe they have the upper hand, Roger can manipulate them all the better, which makes solving problems peacefully even easier. As Roger doesn't need guns to be a threat, it leads people to underestimate and become overconfident; it is a form of social akido or judo, in which Roger is an absolute master. Once an enemy falls for the simple illusion of power, they're already in Roger's court. -"I value women and the elderly. It's one of my policies." As has already been established, Roger Smith is a womanizer, an appreciator of the art of the female form. Holding himself to the image of the classical gentleman - mansion, drinks, almost Great Gatsby-esuqe in nature - is something Roger does best. But on top of this is the value of the elderly, a specification that seems utterly unimportant. If Roger is a gentleman, he naturally values and respects the wisdom of his elders and thus their existence. So why does he single them out in this policy? It is in this rule that Roger's good nature shines through the clearest. Though at first it sounds very typical, one must wonder - why would Roger Smith give such an obvious, culturally normal rule? Certainly it is not a throwback to the gentleman in the way of the other policies. Instead, however, Roger openly, blatantly states this - disguising his kind-heartedness not merely to others, but to himself. He lies as to the truth of his personality, to the good and noble man who sits beneath his arrogant pride; Roger intentionally disguises his own kindness as part of his code of honor, as if it were something he needed to state instead of a given. -"If someone lacks courtesy and sincerity, I ask them to leave." The host and the guest are a symbiosis. A good host expects a good guest; well taken-care of, but polite and well-spoken, with a good sense of manners. Respect and honesty are things Roger values highly; though Roger may disguise things in Negotiator-speak or otherwise try to work things out, it is expected that he never outright lies. He is not a devious man; he tells the truth, or some part of it, whenever he can. If he wasn't honest and above-ground, no client would ever trust him, and thus he expects the same not merely of himself and those he works with but his guests and other clients. Those who cannot be respectful and honest are those Roger doesn't want to deal with; the arrogant or lying fools who try to cheat their way out of their deals, or merely the rude guest who can't keep his feet off the coffeetable. One way or another, they will be asked to remove themselves from Roger's presence, whether that means Roger must force himself to take an alternative method to close the deal, or simply ask the guest to leave in a polite manner (or have Norman throw them out on their ass). At the same time, Roger holds himself to this expectation, for the reasons mentioned above - a lying Negotiator is a dead Negotiator. He realizes that if he is untrustworthy or crude, so too will his opponents 'ask' him to leave - and that usually means with a hailstorm of bullets. -"The most important rule of all is under no circumstances must anyone touch my desk!" Negotiation is a business with infinite vagaries. No matter what the circumstances of the mission, Roger must conduct himself professionally, solve the problem rationally, and prepare for the word. As a result, Roger is a compulsively neat individual; meticulous and methodical to a fault, Roger has to make sure that everything in a situation is under his complete control, all the time. He knows, better than anyone, how easily a lack of control can become a spiral of chaos and a failed mission, which becomes dangerous. Of course this extends to his daily life as well; Roger's desk is a masterpiece of anal-retentive beauty, with a place for everything and everything in its place. Disturbing such a private sanctum of order is tantamount to treason; it's something Roger can't stand, because not only does it violate his authority, but it jumbles up his life and wastes his time. -"The basic rule of negotiating is to consider and respect the other person's feelings." Negotiation is a three-way street. It is a dance between the client, the opposition, and the Negotiator; the job of the Negotiator is to ensure that everyone plays by the rules to resolve the situation, and when one side or the other breaks down, act as a failsafe situation. Roger prides himself on his ability to understand other people; it is what makes him so excellent a Negotiator, his ability to break down people into their components and appeal to said components like an artist appeals to his canvas. This rule yet again extends into Roger's personal life under the Gentleman's image; by holding high the feelings of others, Roger knows what they want to hear, and knows how to tell it to them. Of course, at the same time this is representative of his innate and inherent compassion; honed into a perfect tool for his oh-so-dangerous job. He lives this way, excusing his compassion as part of his code, or perhaps hiding it to seem more neutral in the eyes of his clients. -"If you want to live a happy life in this city, leave memories alone when they pop up. That's Roger Smith's Rule No. 1." A simple rule. It is advice not merely to Roger himself (advice he frequently ignores) but to other people; the Memories are a fact of life in Paradigm City. Those who do not learn how to cope live unhappily. Those who learn how to cope...don't. Roger has managed to find some level of satisfaction despite his search for the truth behind the Event and his own life; he's come to terms with it, and now holds to this rule as a sort of guideline - which is just what the wording suggests. The word 'if' means it can be disregarded if Roger is willing to throw away his own happiness; it means that there is always a choice in the matter, though it may not be a wise one. And that's just what Roger Smith needs sometimes - the ability to do what he wants, nevermind how bad it might be. -"You have to use your pent-up energy to fight through the harshness of reality. That's Roger Smith's Rule No. 2." Roger Smith never gives up. No matter how much life sucks, no matter how bad the situation is, he refuses to allow the crushing weight of surrender to fall on his shoulders. The inner strength of Roger Smith is truly extraordinary; he lives as he wants to live, not as the world dictates, and he has chosen the gentleman's image for a very, very specific reason - it is one that allows him to live a quiet life and save his strength for when it is most necessary. This rule is one Roger lives; he doesn't even have to think about it. Stating it out loud merely reinforces it for others - Roger Smith never gives up. Though he may not be comparable to Simon or Guy Shishioh, he is a juggernaut of willpower with inner reserves deeper than most people could even begin to understand - reserves he draws on whenever he needs to remind himself that life sucks only forever if you give up. -"A Negotiator only uses force as a last resort." It is key to the code of the gentleman and the negotiator both that force is unseemly, unsightly, and unpleasant. A gunshot, a kick, or even Big O, are all things that can displace or unnerve a client or opponent to the point of failing the deal. With quiet dignity and quiet strength, Roger denies his opponents the satisfaction, and at the same time maintains his image of a debonair and demure individual. Though he's absolutely no slouch at combat, Roger saves it until absolutely necessary. It allows him to throw opponents off-guard when the seemingly-helpless Negotiator suddenly judo-kicks them through the wall. -"Something else that goes against my policies--using violence against women." Gentlemen don't hit women. It's sexist, it's backwards, and it's arguably ignoble in this day and age, a result of looking at women through a glass of a code outdated and outmoded. But Roger holds tight to it; violence is unseemly. It's an ugly thing; women are beautiful things, who should not be exposed to violence unless it's absolutely, utterly necessary. And in such a case, Roger thoroughly regrets it; no matter how evil or ugly the woman, it's a moment that his code couldn't hold. That said, he's not incapable of enacting such violence; his job and his responsibilities come first, always. It is his willingness to bend his rules, to make exceptions, that makes Roger a top-tier negotiator; a tree breaks if it cannot be flexible, and a deal breaks down if Roger can't do the same. That doesn't mean he does it often, or even enjoys it, but he is capable of it - and that's why Roger survives and thrives in Paradigm City, the world without memories. Ultimately, Roger's goal is discovering the truth - not merely behind Paradigm Corporation, but the city itself. What drove away the memories? What purged these people of their thoughts, their feelings, their families? Why do the Memories keep cropping up? What is the source of the MegaDeus? And most importantly of all: Who is Roger Smith? Talents & Abilities Roger Smith is Paradigm City's top negotiator, and there's good reason for it. He provides a much-needed service not merely to the city of Amnesia, but to the world at large, as a member of the Trailers network. Though his secret identity as the Dominus of MegaDeus remains obscured, the man is nonetheless known in the circles of politicians as someone who can and does get the job done if you can afford his services and don't question his methods. Roger has recently taken to training Solis Vivent as his apprentice Negotiator. Logs |ordermethod = title |notcategory = cutscenes |suppresserrors = yes }} Category:Trailers